Club great anoints in-form Eagle as the “best player in the competition right now”

Fremantle great Paul Hasleby has anointed West Coast’s Jake Waterman as the best player in the competition right now.

The improved forward led the Eagles to a 105-70 win over Melbourne on Sunday night, booting five goals to go with 17 disposals and 13 marks.

It continued a brilliant run of form for the 26-year-old who has kicked 23 goals across his last five games having missed the Round 9 loss to Collingwood with concussion.

Hasleby says there’s no defender in the competition that can go with the Eagle in the form he’s currently in.

“Jake Waterman has been the best player in the comp over the last five games he has played,” Hasleby said on SEN’s The Run Home WA.

“Six, five, four, three, five (goals) – that’s 23 goals in the last five games.

“He's got 29 for the year. He's now even with a number of other gun forwards in the competition, albeit he missed one game with concussion just last week.

“He took 13 marks on Sunday and he's averaging five contested (per game).

“When he's one-on-one, there's nobody in the comp right now that can go with him.”

While Waterman has been enormous from a statistical perspective, Hasleby has been most impressed by his ability to impact as he’s been West Coast’s best or close to it in their three wins this season which have all come in his five-game run.

“We often talk about, ‘Okay, having the best player has got to lead to winning games for his team’,” Hasleby said.

“This was a West Coast Eagles side at the start of the year that everyone thought wouldn't get too many wins.

“In that block of five games, he’s won three games for his team against Richmond, Fremantle and Melbourne.

“They were smashed by Collingwood when he didn't play last week. That's how big his impact has been for this Eagles side, and I would dare anybody out there right now to say who's a better player in the competition.

“I think he's the best player in the competition right now, from what I've seen.”

Waterman - the current equal Coleman Medal leader alongside Charlie Curnow, Ben King and Jesse Hogan - will hope to keep his ridiculous run of form going when the Eagles face the Crows at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.